Google made a flurry of announcements regarding Google+. The
social network is now available to the public after spending several
months in beta. Those who have never used Google+ have more reasons to
try the service today because Google has updated both the Android
application and Google+ on the web. All the features we’ll go over here
are expected to be available to everyone worldwide by Wednesday.

Google+ Android App

Google has finally added Hangouts to the Google+ Android app. This feature is available to Android phones with front-facing cameras running Gingerbread. It’s not possible to start a Hangout from the app, but you can join one that’s already in progress. Hangout support is also coming to iOS devices soon.

Google has also renamed Huddle to Messenger. In retrospect, this was probably a good choice since Messenger is a more straightforward name. Messenger has also been updated with support for sharing photos. Other improvements include moving the app to an SD card, the ability to +1 comments, profile photo editing and custom notifications.

Google+ On The Web

Hangouts has also received a significant update on the web. Hangouts On Air is Google+‘s version of Justin.tv or Ustream. Up to 10 people can broadcast and record their Hangout session as it happens. Google isn’t opening Hangouts On Air to everyone just yet.

You can also do more secondary activities while hanging out. Instead of just watching YouTube videos, Hangouts with extras includes Google Docs, a sketchpad and screensharing options for the entire group. Developers can also place Hangouts inside their apps with new Hangouts APIs.